Courts, crimes, the scoop

THE YEAR IN REVIEW



TEARFUL TIME—In October, hundreds of mourners came to see the memorial set up for Mark and Jacob Iskander, young brothers killed by an alleged drunk driver on Sept. 29. The boys were walking with their family at a Triunfo Canyon Road crosswalk in Westlake Village. The driver was charged with murder. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

TEARFUL TIME—In October, hundreds of mourners came to see the memorial set up for Mark and Jacob Iskander, young brothers killed by an alleged drunk driver on Sept. 29. The boys were walking with their family at a Triunfo Canyon Road crosswalk in Westlake Village. The driver was charged with murder. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

The courts were not immune to the pandemic—justice slowed but did not stop. These are the lowlights.

In April, Mary Urias, an employee of 5-Star Theatricals in Thousand Oaks was charged with multiple felonies, including grand theft, preparing false documents, forgery and identity theft. She is accused of stealing $130,000 from the company. Urias was on probation for a 2014 crime, and was sentenced in April to serve 30 days of a 240-day sentence for violating the terms of her probation.

YouTube star and Calabasas resident Jake Paul drew the ire of his neighbors in July after hosting a raucous party at which he and his guests ignored the state-mandated social distancing orders. Online posts showed few of the more that 100 attendees were wearing masks. In response to the party, the city imposed a $100 fine on people who refuse to wear masks.

In September, a man arrested in March for the attempted kidnapping of an Oak Park teen was connected to a series of sexual assaults in Ventura several years ago. Anthony Ruelas of Woodland Hills is facing life in prison if he is found guilty of all the charges against him.

Early in the morning of July 18, police say a 57-year-old Thousand Oaks man shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, 49-yearold Sherry Thomas, and then shot himself while inside an Agoura Hills townhome. Thomas was a successful business owner and entrepreneur who started a string of clothing stores she dubbed Blush Boutique.

Westlake Village was rocked by the deaths of Mark and Jacob Iskander in September. The young brothers were on a walk with their family when they were struck by a car. The driver, Rebecca Grossman, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence and fleeing the scene. She was scheduled to appear in court Dec. 30 facing charges of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run driving.

A years-long mystery was put to bed in November after a family’s stalker was finally uncovered. Louie Valdez, a resident of Three Springs in Westlake Village, was revealed as the man who had left inappropriate notes and pornographic images for one of the family’s daughters. Valdez, 52, is a financial manager who is well-known in the community for his volunteer work.

With the pandemic came a need for cash, prompting criminals to find new ways of cashing in. The Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station reported 2020 saw an increase in automobile catalytic converter thefts. The 2-foot long device sits exposed on a vehicle’s undercarriage and contains valuable precious metals. It can be separated from the car in minutes. Agoura Hills resident Alex Jallabert had one stolen off her 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee in September and it cost more than $400 to replace.